Middle East

Riyadh, Sept 29: Saudi woman are now allowed to issue fatwas following a vote in the Shoura Council. The historic move was approved by 107 votes and ends 45 years of only specialist men being able to issue fatwas in the Kingdom. The female muftis are to be chosen by a royal decree. The Shoura Council approved the recommendation, made by one of its members, during its 49th meeting, calling on the

Dubai, Sept 28: Saudi Arabia's 32-year-old heir to the throne, Mohammed bin Salman, has swept into de facto power in less than three years, bringing a dynamism rarely seen in a kingdom that has mostly been ruled by monarchs in their 70s or 80s. The crown prince's rapid moves, however, have brought both successes and failures. This week's royal decree ordering an end to the ban on women driving is

Jeddah, Sept 27: In a historic decision, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Tuesday issued orders to grant driving licenses to women in the Kingdom. The royal order will come into force from Shawwal 10, 1439, corresponding to June 24, 2018, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In a royal decree, the monarch directed Minister of Interior Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Saud Bin Naif to constitute a

Ramallah, Sept 26: Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah will travel to the Gaza Strip on Oct. 2 as part of renewed reconciliation efforts with Hamas, which runs the enclave, his government said Monday. The visit follows concessions by Islamist group Hamas after discussions with Egypt, which has urged it to take steps toward reconciliation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah

Dubai, Sept 26: Dubai has edged closer to its goal of launching a pioneering hover-taxi service, with the authorities announcing a successful "concept" flight was made on Monday without passengers. Safety features for the two-seater air taxi include emergency parachutes and nine independent battery systems, according to Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA). It said the prototype, supplied by

Jeddah, Sept 26: Following his meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City, Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Issa met with the head of the Pontifical Council of the Vatican, Cardinal Jean-Laurent Tauran. The latter meeting was held in the presence of the secretary of the Council of Archbishops, Miguel Isosu, and Archbishop Khalid Akasha. The meeting established a permanent

Washington, Sept 25: Saudis in the US celebrated the country’s National Day on Saturday with a celebration organized by the Saudi Embassy at the National Building Museum in downtown Washington. The evening event was opened to the public and was attended by hundreds of people, including Prince Khaled bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington. The mood was festive and Saudis of all ages

Riyadh, Sept 23: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday celebrated the 87th anniversary of its National Day amid increasing regional challenges. On this day, late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman declared the unification of the country under the name of “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” on the 19th of the month of Jumada I of 1351 AH. The unification was achieved after 32 years of struggle during which

Riyadh, Sept 22: Saudi Arabia has made extensive arrangements to celebrate its 87th National Day in a fitting manner throughout the Kingdom. On Wednesday, the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced that elaborate preparations were being made to unveil 27 diverse festivities across 17 cities within Saudi Arabia to mark the National Day. Celebrations will begin on Thursday and run through

Riyadh, Sept 21: The Saudi government is lifting a ban on calls made through online apps on Thursday but will monitor and censor them, a government spokesman said. All online voice and video call services - such as Microsoft's Skype, Facebook's WhatsApp and Messenger, and Rakuten's Viber - that satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight. However, on Thursday morning